Internal Security with a “Global Vision”: An Analysis of China’s National Security Strategy and its Manifestations in Transnational Law Enforcement in Europe

Following the recent establishment of a China–Hungary law enforcement cooperation agreement, the issue of Chinese transnational law enforcement in Europe has once again been brought to the forefront of the European foreign policy debate. This study aims to highlight how similar agreements and actions across Europe, such as establishing Chinese police stations and prosecuting anti-corruption campaigns like Operation Fox Hunt, reflect China’s strategy of globalising its internal security apparatus to protect regime security. Through an analysis of English- and Mandarin-language Chinese national security documents as well as recent reports on Chinese law enforcement activity in Europe, this study argues that these activities are part of a broader effort to assert global influence and reshape the international order in favour of an illiberal regime security model in line with China’s national regime security strategy. Keywords: Europe; internal security; People’s Republic of China (China); transnational repression.